Computer Support Blog

Days ago, an expedition from the International Union for Conservation of Nature began in the Indian Ocean.  While the human explorers have the drive and interest to spend the months on the ocean that this mission demands, it is the KIEL 6000 ROV that will be doing most of the work.  Made by Schilling Robotics, the KIEL 6000 is a Remotely Operated Vehicle designed for use in depths down to 6000 meters below sea level.

With its 6000 meter depth rating, the KIEL 6000 may explore depths where the water pressure would crush a human being.  Operated from the ship, the KIEL 6000 has a sophisticated computer network that allows it to respond to multiple commands simultaneously.  Far from being a glorified remote-controlled submarine, the KIEL 6000 may follow a preprogrammed flight plan or be controlled from human operators.  Those human operators control more than just simple navigation.  The KIEL 6000 has banks of video cameras and two mechanical arms for taking samples.

The mechanical arms are a real feat of engineering design and computer programming.  The mechanical arms on the KIEL 6000 are highly dexterous and have collected specimens like rare squid and other marine life found only on the depths of the ocean floor.  The mechanical arms manipulate collecting nets and then move the nets into a bio box.  The bio boxes loaded on the KIEL 6000 store tiny marine samples and manipulating the mechanical arms to get the samples from the water to the net to the bio box requires an incredible amount of skill and training.  Even with that training, sometimes the samples themselves resist, as a 20cm lobster recently fled one of the 30cm deep bio boxes before the box closed!

The level of computer control needed to make the KIEL 6000 a viable remote vehicle is substantial.  The KIEL 6000 must be able to react quickly to unforeseen events.  The computer system aboard the KIEL 6000 is designed to react with near-instantaneous precision so the rare images of the ocean depths are not lost and so life forms previously undiscovered may be captured and catalogued by researchers.

Without the sophisticated computer support system that allows the KIEL 6000 to react quickly over 6000 meters below sea level, the KIEL 6000 would be just another remotely operated vehicle.  As it is, though, the KIEL 6000 remains the cutting edge tool for undersea exploration and our best chance at understanding a vast portion of our world.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

The Nielsen Company, the company whose ratings determine which television shows will continue being produced, gathers a wide range of data outside the entertainment industry.  One of the growing markets where Nielsen statistics have become increasingly more relevant is the technology sector.  Nielsen ratings for electronics, computer services and consumer trends in the technology sector help steer the technology markets.  Just as television studios change the course of their programming based on the trends Nielsen television ratings indicate, manufacturers of consumer electronics put a lot of stock in Nielsen ratings for determining their corporate direction.

The Nielsen Company has released its 2011 Third Quarter analysis of operating systems for smartphones.  As consumer spending rises in anticipation of the Christmas holiday, this information may be particularly valuable to shoppers.

The statistics collected by the Nielsen Company indicate that the third quarter was very good for smartphones running the Android Operating System.  Android-driven smartphones account for 42.8% of the smartphone market share.  The next most popular, by sales, operating system was Apple’s iPhone Operating System at 28.3% of the market share.  The only other substantial (over 10% market share) smartphone OS was RIM Blackberry’s Operating System with 17.8% of the market share for the third quarter.  Four different operating systems split the bottom 11.2% of the smartphone operating system market!

What does this mean for consumers?  Consumers spending money on smartphones for the Christmas 2011 holiday may want to consider an option other than a phone driven by Windows Mobile, Palm/HP Web OS, Symbian OS or Windows Phone 7 OS.  Those four operating systems may not have anything wrong with their functionality, design or support mechanisms.  Because they occupy the bottom of the market share, though, those manufacturers are most likely to re-evaluate their operating systems.  Smartphone consumers want stability and products that work. If the manufacturers decide to scrap their OS to reprioritize their focus on areas in which they may be more successful, consumers must change their OS.  Failure to change an operating system on your smartphone may leave you with a smartphone that cannot access the network where you have a smartphone plan.

Conversely, Android, Apple and RIM have a lot to be grateful for going into the fourth quarter.  Their platforms dominate the smartphone industry and Android especially has every reason to feel secure.  With over 42% of the smartphone market using Android-based smartphones, consumers have added incentive to purchase smartphones that run on the Android OS.  By dominating so much of the smartphone market, Android implicitly promises the stability consumers demand.

Smartphone technology changes almost every quarter, so selecting a phone with a stable and successful operating system ensures your smartphone will continue to change with the times.  Keep that in mind when buying this season!

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

Breaking news about Apple!  The Domain Name Wire is reporting that control of seven domain names that use brand product names in the URL were given to Apple today.  Individuals and companies purchased sites like iphonecam4s.com and iphonesex4s.com prior to the release of the iPhone 4S and had been bringing visitors to racy sites.  Apple, presumably, objected to this because they do not want any URL with their product name associated with sex.  What Apple is hoping those paying attention to this story will not notice, though, is the history.

Apple has usually paid to get back the domain names associated with its products.  Yes, back in 2007, Michael Kovatch sold iPhone.com to Apple reportedly for a million dollars.  Similarly, a Swedish company that held the domain name iCloud.com sold the domain name for $4.5 million dollars to Apple in 2011.  The Swedish company that owned the iCloud.com domain is a computer support company that utilizes Cloud-based technology.  What both domain names had in common was that the purchase of the domain name radically predated the invention by Apple that necessitated Apple’s interest in the domain name.

One need not be an Apple genius to see the potential here.  If you can guess the next big Apple product’s name, you stand to make millions of dollar for a minimal investment.  The cost of a domain name registration for one year is approximately $12.  If you accurately guess the next big Apple product name, you may have a real cash cow in your portfolio!

The World Intellectual Property Organization mediates disputes over domain names, which is how Apple received control of the domain names today.  However, by purchasing a domain name and putting up your own content in advance of Apple creating a product with the same name, you actually have more of a right to it!  After all, Apple does not have the intellectual mandate on putting “i” before other popular words. To strengthen your claim to the domain name you buy, you should establish a website there that illustrates a legitimate business function, like online storage or sales of a product that you tie to your domain name.  Then you have to wait for Apple to be as creative as you are!

So, will the next big leap be the imac3 (imac3.com is still an available domain name)?  Clearly, Apple does not want to have to pay more for these domains than they have to – which is probably why iPhone7G.com is not available – but they can only cover so many bases before their efforts seem ridiculous or unprofitable.  And for the cost of $12/year, the potential gain is less of a risk than playing the lottery for those who are creatively inclined.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

In an age of seamless global connectivity thanks to increasingly powerful network services, it seems that the last remaining communication obstacle is language. Aside from the actual costs, travel across the globe in a day is no longer a problem, while high quality, instant, audio-visual communication is quickly becoming a matter of clicking a button on a tablet or smartphone. Language, on the other hand, still limits how we communicate. Tourists and travelers often face a hard time communicating with others if the two do not speak a common language. Of course, there is always the good old pocket dictionary, but anyone who has ever tried to rely on that while on vacation knows that it’s hardly any help. Free online translation tools also have limited usage. They require a computing device, an Internet connection, and the ability to enter and read a language that you don’t speak!

Fortunately, if you don’t speak a word of French and are planning a trip to see the Mona Lisa, or if you regularly need simultaneous interpretation in a work setting, Jibbigo can make your life easier. Jibbigo is a speech-to-speech translation app that works on Android and iOS operated devices. To use the application, you simply record what you need to translate while pressing a record button. Jibbigo then says it back in the target language. The application is currently available in nine language pairs. Jibbigo can translate between English and Arabic (Iraqi dialect), Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean and Tagalog. It can also translate between German and Spanish.

Jibbigo uses advanced Speech Recognition Technology and has a vocabulary of over 40,000 words. The apps’ website states that it uses statistical machine translation and natural voice output using SVOX speech synthesis technology.

Perhaps the most intriguing feature of Jibbigo is that it works offline without an Internet connection. It is self-contained and does not rely on cloud computing or other services that require a connection. This is especially useful for tourists who do not have access to Internet tech support or who do not want to get billed with massive roaming charges.

The app is founded on advanced scientific research in language at Mobile Technologies. Jibbigo and Mobile Technologies, in turn, continually collaborate with InterACT, the International Center for Advanced Communication Technologies at Carnegie Mellon University and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany.

The New York Times has praised the app as one of the most advanced on the market, and it has been featured in travel guides. The app is quite inexpensive, costing under $5 for most languages. For a few bucks, it might even be fun to just buy the app and test it out at home.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

Protecting files and having adequate data recovery resources available is essential today.  This is one reason why Iomega’s eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive is a vital tool for Mac users.  The Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive features the sleek look Mac users have come to expect from Apple computer products.  Iomega’s vital hard drive will not clash with the style Apple pioneered.

More than flash, what the Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive has is function.  The Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive connects to a Mac computer through the USB 2.0 port or the Mac FireWire 800 ports.  The Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive makes great use of the FireWire 800 ports as they allow the hard drive to back-up data almost twice as fast as through the USB port.  Using the Mac computer’s FireWire 800 technology, the Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive backs up a Mac’s hard drive at a rate of 800 Mbits per second.  The USB is not slouching at 480 Mbits per second.  Either way, a 500 GB hard drive may be copied to the Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive in less than five hours.

Because this eGo is for Mac computers, the Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive instantly interacts with a Mac through the Time Machine program.  Iomega generously includes all of the needed cables, which makes the Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive useable right out of the box.

With portability being an essential function of the Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive, it is worth noting that the portable hard drive is barely over half a pound and only 5.3” long by 3.53” wide by .76” deep, so it travels as easily as a mobile phone does!  The Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive protects the data it is storing through the Iomega Drop Guard Case.  So long as one does not drop the Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive from a height greater than seven feet, this portable hard drive keeps data secure enough to leave the user feeling fully confident.

The benefits of the Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive cannot be understated.  Data may be stored off-site for secure data storage, preventing the need for other tools unless actual computer repair is required. With the security and durability of the Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive, Mac users have found their essential Mac accessory.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

If modern history continues to head in the direction Firefly predicted, we should all start learning Chinese.  Fortunately, there are some very cool programs that help teach Chinese and other programs that provide computer support to reinforce what you learn!  There are almost as many different ways to learn Mandarin Chinese on the computer as there are teaching styles.  Some of the best software for learning Mandarin Chinese follows:

Active Chinese may well be the most comprehensive computer-based tool for learning Mandarin Chinese.  With clear delineations for different education levels from Kindergarten through fourth-year college levels, Active Chinese takes a multimedia approach to teaching Mandarin Chinese.  Through pictures, movies and audio clips, Active Chinese provides a comprehensive approach to learning different levels of Mandarin and provides the tools to reinforce and test the lessons.

Learning styles differ and CCHAR Chinese Character Software is for those who learn best through writing and reading, as opposed to hearing and speaking.  CCHAR’s program teaches users the finer points of Chinese calligraphy and how to recognize the characters in written Mandarin.

Most people who want to learn Mandarin want to learn to speak Mandarin Chinese.  The L-CEPS Free Chinese Lessons software online has a very direct word with phonetic translation interface that teaches users key phrases.  While this might teach users a very limited set of Mandarin Chinese lines, it does reinforce them well and provides a very clear progression of lessons to make the process fun.

For those on the go, there is the HNHSoft English-Chinese Talking Dictionary for smartphones.  Less of a learning tool and more of a support mechanism, this dictionary may be installed into your smartphone including the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch.  This dictionary offers fast translations of English words into Chinese and features an interface that clearly illustrates how to pronounce each word.  Even if you learn Chinese with one of the other programs, the HNHSoft app can be a real lifesaver for travelers to fall back on.

Regardless of what the future holds, anyone who wants to learn Chinese will find the software to learn Mandarin Chinese less expensive and less intimidating than private lessons or classes.  With computers, smartphones and these programs, learning Mandarin Chinese can be cool and fun!

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

It has been almost eight years since bovine spongiform encephalopathy, more commonly known as Mad Cow Disease, was an international story.  While dramatic agricultural reforms in the meat industry played a large role in keeping Mad Cow Disease from spreading, computer support via computerized models continue to play a key role in monitoring and preventing a Mad Cow outbreak.  Computer models that calculate far more accurately than a single person could are now protecting humans.

According to “Mad Cow And Computer Models: The U.S. Response To BSE,” the sheer number of variables needed to calculate the vectors of a Mad Cow Disease outbreak are staggering.  Despite the seemingly daunting task of correlating all of the necessary data through computer support techniques, the USDA now has a model to predict and calculate the vectors of a Mad Cow Disease outbreak.

One of the significant challenges in predicting and tracing the outbreak of a prion disease like Mad Cow Disease is that the disease is only evident through an autopsy of an infected cow.  Once an infected cow is found, the race begins to trace back all of the relevant factors in that cow’s life.  Those factors include: the food source that each infected cow was fed from, every location where the cow lived, every cow in the herd with the infected cow each time the infected cow was sold and the location of the infected cow’s parents and offspring, if any exist.

To get this data, the USDA must have access to complicated databases of shipping records, sales records and inventory controls for both cattle and the cattle’s food supply.  While the USDA must be vigilant for these models to work, the most common challenge to the model is human error, missing data, or computer support failures.  However, with the database working ideally, the USDA hopes to have a rapid response plan in place to prevent both an outbreak that would endanger the United States and a series of sweeping mass cattle executions that would effectively end the beef industry.

The USDA’s database, if properly maintained, will allow ranchers to target specific cattle when authorities find an infected cow.  Based on feed source, herd and sales records, the USDA would inform every rancher who had a potentially exposed cow in their herds.  In other words, the database provides the possibility that the infected cow’s food source could be traced back and then predicted for all cows in the database.  Then, ranchers would be notified of which of their cows were likely infected with Mad Cow Disease and they could be killed before ever entering the human food chain.  And, if potentially infected cows already entered the human consumption market, the USDA could issue a more precise recall.

The computer models for Mad Cow Disease rely upon vigilance, precision and updates over a long period of time, but they offer the greatest potential for humans to survive an outbreak.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

People are listening to more music than ever before, and free Internet radio is all the rage these days. Millions of people rely on Internet radio like Pandora and Jango to provide their daily dosage of tunes. Internet radio continues to garner more popularity as it offers listeners free music, as well as the chance to more-or-less customize their music preferences. It’s a great way to discover new favorites while remaining in your musical comfort zone. But what happens when you don’t want to just tune into what’s playing and want to listen to a specific song? In case you are wondering, no, the answer is not to illegally download the music, a practice that poses an immense threat to your Internet security, among other inherent reasons not to. Well, one option is to buy songs and use Google Music or iTunes to organize your library, but what if you don’t own that much music and you don’t want to pay every time you want to listen to Adele in the background? The answer is Spotify, an Internet music streaming service that lets users pick the exact tracks they want to listen to!

The first question that comes to mind is price. The good news is that Spotify offers a free version. Naturally, subscribers to the free plan experience occasional radio ads and other limitations like a lower sound quality and no offline mode. According to Wikipedia, after an initial grace period, the free version supports only 10 hours of music streaming per month, which is not that much for many people. Still, most Spotify users, around 7.5 million, currently use the free version, and given the service’s popularity, these numbers are certainly going to increase!

Upgrading to an unlimited account has the advantage of better music quality, fewer ads, and ability to listen in an offline mode. Spotify also boasts smartphone apps iOS and Android. So, similar to Google Music’s online storage feature, Spotify can act as a cloud music library. Regardless of which version you use, Spotify offers more than 15 million songs, having reached agreements with the big four music labels.

The service is quickly expanding to many European countries, and despite only having been active in the United States for a few months, it’s gaining immense popularity. Spotify recently announced in a blog post that is has reached 2.5 million paying users. Another recent major development has been the collaboration of Spotify and Facebook. To register for the service, you must use a Facebook  account—there’s no way around it. Once you sign up, you can share playlists and songs with friends, see what tracks others are listening to and follow your friends’ recommendations.

There are plenty of ways to listen to music. Spotify is just one of them, sure, but it’s also drastically different. Finally, we have a service that actually lets us listen to the music we want, share it, and instantly stream it for free.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

When one spends thousands of dollars on a dog, they need something that protects that investment and the Garmin Astro Dog Tracking System does exactly that.  A family pet can be one of the most expensive investments, from the initial purchase to the ongoing investment in the dog’s health and training, and it is the investment most likely to literally run away.  The Garmin Astro Dog Tracking System may not be able to prevent escape artist dogs, but it does allow one to find a dog on the loose.

The Garmin Astro Dog Tracking System is a GPS system for medium to large dogs that comes with both the Astro 320 handheld device and the DC 40 collar unit for on the dog.  The Astro 320 handheld GPS device is self-contained and, as such, does not require any additional computer support to operate or update the unit.  The DC 40 collar is a specialized GPS transmitter that interfaces with the owner’s Astro 320.

The Garmin Astro Dog Tracking System is like a standard automobile GPS system.  The DC 40 is a collar that one simply puts on their dog and activates.  With a seventeen to forty-eight hour charge, the DC 40 ensures that a lost dog will not stay that way for very long.

The Astro 320 component of the Garmin Astro Dog Tracking System is a handheld GPS device that includes a bright, full color screen with preloaded topographical maps.  The position of the dog is indicated with a high-contrast color dot or, when tracking a moving dog, a line.  The Astro 320 also features a compass module to help the user more effectively follow the escaped or hunting canine.  With the tracker function on, the Astro Dog Tracking System easily keeps the user informed to prevent users from following a dog’s trail after the dog has doubled back or changed direction.

One of the most appealing features of the Garmin Astro Dog Tracking System is that the system may be used the moment it is removed from the box.  The user does not need to subscribe to an expensive monthly mobile phone plan to access the data from the transmitter.  Unlike many pet GPS products, the Garmin Astro Dog Tracking System does not rely upon any other product or service.  At the same time, the Astro 320 features a port through which the user may upgrade to premium services, but most users will find the out-of-the-box benefits of the Garmin Astro Dog Tracking System to be more than enough to safeguard their dog’s wellbeing.

Hunters, tourists, dog owners on vacation with their beloved canine and owners whose dogs who have a large property to roam will find that the Garmin Astro Dog Tracking System is all they need to recover their dog when the dog escapes.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

If you’re ever in the mood to find out if your email account’s user name or password have been compromised by a hacker—and if you’re brave enough to want to know the truth—consider giving PwnedList.com a try. The website offers a tool that allows people to check if some of their online data has been compromised.

The website began as an experiment to see how many compromised email accounts could be harvested programmatically, according to the tool’s creators. In less than two hours, approximately 30,000 accounts (usernames and passwords) were collected, showing just how vulnerable some people’s Internet security was.

PwnedList does not hack into people’s accounts to collect their data! It extracts usernames and emails from account dumps and stores the usernames and passwords in an encrypted form to prevent them from being re-hacked.

“The purpose of this project is to hopefully to raise security awareness, encourage users to be more proactive about handling their personal security in cyberspace and at the same time help people monitor their accounts for potential compromises,” says the PwnedList website.

One way to understand how PwnedList works is by thinking of it as a volunteer who searches the Internet, both manually and using complex programs, for information dumps. When PwnedList finds dumps of usernames and passwords, it encrypts them then adds them to its database. At the time this article was written, PwnedList bragged 4981012 discovered usernames and emails.

As cool as PwnedList is, it’s important to remember that it’s by no means an alternative to safe Internet security practices. The easiest of these is changing your passwords regularly and making them long and difficult. PwnedList is merely a way to casually check if any of your accounts’ information has been collected by a hacker somewhere.

The limitation of the tool, though, is that it references your information against the data it has collected over time. In other words, your information may very well have been hacked or compromised but not collected by PwnedList. If that’s the case, relying on PwnedList as a litmus test can be misleading.

Overall, PwnedList is a cool tool that offers an interesting, albeit limited, service. Give it a try. And don’t get too excited if your results come back positive—that means you’ve been hacked!

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com